Hizbul Threatens Kashmiris Against Attending Republic Day Events

Terror group Hizbul Mujahideen has released a new video, threatening Kashmiris of serious consequences if they participate in the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.

The Quint is in possession of the video but will not be placing it in the public domain as we don’t want to give a platform to those who subscribe to violence. We also do not support individuals who are perceived as a threat to society.

In the ten-minute video, a seated Hizbul commander in fatigues, flanked by two armed militants, directly addresses the public as well as Jammu & Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti.

I appeal to Kashmiris to observe 26 January as a Black Day. Kashmiris should not participate in the programmes organised by this puppet government, the police and the army. And if at all anyone dares to do that, he will be declared a traitor and would face strict punishment.

The militant also adresses the Chief Minister and other state politicians and warns them against “misguiding” the people about the situation in Kashmir.

A screengrab from the Hizbul Mujahideen video.

CM Mehbooba Mufti and other politicians should not shed crocodile tears. If they think that the people of Kashmir support them, I challenge them to spend just 15 minutes without security in ordinary citizens’ houses or localities. It will prove that the public is not with these traitors but with the mujahideens.

The militant group has been releasing videos frequently on social media in the last few months. Earlier too, the terror group put out videos to induct recruits, to issue threats, and clips showing militants training.

In the latest video, the militant also says that anyone who works against the ‘community’ or joins hands with the Indian government would be responsible for his or her life.

He tells those working for the government to apologise to Kashmiris. He also threatens serious consequences for those who don’t comply.

Their relatives and friends should not complain later that the Hizbul Mujahideen took extreme action against them.

According to senior Kashmir-based journalist David Devadas, the videos being released by Hizbul militants in recent months reflect a change in the methods adopted by terror group to reach out to the people.

These sophisticated videos have become a very important tool in the construction of a persona of the mujahid. These young players are very different from the terrorists of the 1990s. Burhan Wani became a public figure with the help of such videos and selfies.

Experts also point out that the official Republic Day celebrations in the state are held in Jammu and mark the Darbar Move. This is the practice of shifting of the state government machinery from the summer capital Srinagr to Jammu, the winter capital. The CM delivers the Republic Day speech in Jammu. As a result, no major function is held in Kashmir on Republic Day. So, the experts say, it will be difficult to gauge the impact of Hizbul’s threat.

Surprisingly, the CM and even the opposition parties have maintained a silence on the string of recent videos released by Hizbul. The question that arises then is: Is the government taking the videos lightly or intentionally choosing to ignore them?